Venezuelan envoy lashes back after US walkout from UN body

Venezuela’s ambassador in Geneva mocked as “ridiculous” a U.S. walkout Tuesday from his chairmanship of the U.N.’s main disarmament body, launching barbs at President Donald Trump and laughing as he claimed a David-over-Goliath diplomatic victory over the United States.

Jorge Valero was reacting to the walkout by Washington’s ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament, Robert Wood, which was the latest choreographed U.S. move to try to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

The U.S. and over 50 countries have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s president, but Maduro remains in power.

Valero spoke to reporters after taking the chair of the conference plenary, which prompted Wood to walk out and tell reporters that a “rogue state” had taken over the conference chairmanship.